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Waiting for the ferry
Just across from the ferry terminal was a fish farm. I suspect it was for more of those geographically challenged Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon we had for lunch yesterday.
Fish Farm. Large circular cages floating in the sea with nets on top to stop nasty birds like sea eagles from nicking their salmon!
I must have a word with Charlotte. While she thinks we're 23' below sea level, I suspect we may not actually be aboard a submarine version of a vehicular ferry. Personally, I was very surprised that she had any signal at all seeing we were in the middle of the vessel with hardly any view of the sky.
Underwater ferry? Blue foam items are a C Ross Custom GPS anti-vibration device. Order yours NOW!
Rest of the day totally unexciting, so we'll proceed on to ...
Day 37
Hobart -> Richmond -> Hobart <Map>
Today 45 Total 4149
Another convict heritage day today. Richmond is a small town about 25kms north east of Hobart. It has a couple of attractions, the most obvious being the Richmond Gaol and the Richmond Bridge.
Richmond Gaol Yard
Richmond Gaol is a convict built set of buildings and is the oldest intact gaol in Australia. It was built in 1825 and predates Port Arthur by 8 years. Due to its originally small size, it was expanded in 1832, 1835 and finally in 1840. Overcrowding seemed to be a continual issue, as was the fact that male and female prisoners were not kept apart very well. By mid-1850 its use had declined to just a Watch House due to the cessation of convict transportation. In the 1920s it was abandoned, but was rescued in 1945 as a State Reserve, then finally transferred to the care of Parks and Wildlife whence it could then be declared a historic site.
Bread, water and silence in solitary? Not for me, thanks
One of the prisoners held here was Isaac (Ikey) Solomon. He is believed to be the inspiration for Fagin in Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist'. Arrested in London in 1810 for picking pockets and selling stolen goods, he was transported for life. He was released in error from the prison hulk Retribution in 1816, but was shrewd enough to give himself up, thereby being awarded a free pardon. Not one to rest on his dubious laurels, he started selling stolen goods again in London using a jeweller's store as a front.
Fagin?
He was arrested but escaped to America, and from there made his way to Tasmania to try to find his wife (also a convict). Governor Arthur noted his arrival, had him arrested and sent back to London where he was sentenced at the Old Bailey to 14 years' transportation. He arrived back in Tasmania in 1831 and served 4 years as a Javelin Man (trustee). He died in 1850.
One of the tasks set for the early convicts at Richmond was the building of the Richmond Bridge.
"The first stone of this bridge was laid on Dec 11th 1829 in the presence of James Gordon and G. W. Gunning Esqrs Magistrates"
Australia's oldest bridge is still in use
The bridge was completed in 1825 and is still in use to vehicular traffic. What really surprised us is that the designers had sufficient foresight to make it a very wide (for the time?) and strong bridge as nearly two hundred years later, it's still wide enough to carry two lanes of traffic, including trucks.
Day 38
Hobart -> Mt Field Nat Pk <Map>
Today 90 Total 4239
Today marks the end of two thirds of our trip, and the beginning of the last major section. We have visited the two biggest cities in Tasmania (Launceston and the state capital, Hobart), and travelled down most of the length of the East Coast. Now we start working our way up the far more rugged West Coast. This isn't as easy as the East Coast as there is no highway on the West Coast of Tasmania. In fact, less than half the West Coast is accessible by vehicle as it's mostly wilderness.
Our first stop on this leg is Mt Field National Park, where I hope to get a decent shot of Russell Falls. In Tasmanian tourist brochures, there are a number of quintessentially Tasmanian photos. These tend to be Wineglass Bay at Freycinet, the wild coast around Tasman and Bruny Islands, Mt Wellington's impressive bulk above Hobart, Cradle Mountain, and of course, a Tasmanian Devil. The one missing from this list is Russell Falls and this is why we're here.
The campground gave us some indication that this was a special place.
At Mt Field campground surrounded by tall Swamp Gums
A lovely clear fast-running creek was behind the van and although we didin't see any, it looked like a perfect place for platypus.
Off into the rain forest to find the falls. If it's rain forest, then it makes sense it's going to rain...
Russell Falls - lower section
Russell Falls - raining, blowing, spray everywhere, and just magnificent
We then climbed to the top of the falls (lots of steps) and set off for Horseshoe Falls further upstream.
Made it!
Horseshoe Falls
Some other shots taken around the falls.
Day 39
Mt Field Nat Pk -> Strahan <Map>
Today 265 Total 4504
A rather long day today (at least in Tasmanian terms) after a midnight visitor had snuffled around the van.
Beware the sneaky Pademelon
The first small detour was into Tarraleah. From out of nowhere, I seem to remember this town from primary school as a centre of hydro-electricity generation in Tasmania.
Water down one side of the hill, electricity up the other
Tarraleah Power Station at the bottom
Started in the depression in the early 1930s, the power station was finished after WWII. The roads around the Central Highlands were starting to get interesting here, as we had to descend about 250m / 750' into the valley, then climb back out the other side. Fortunately there was very little traffic as it was a steep grade with hairpin bends and we were a bit slow climbing out.
Next stop was for an attraction called The Wall in the Wilderness. This is an artwork that, when completed, will be a 50m, double-sided, sculpture carved from Huon Pine. The workmanship was spectacular, but unfortunately there is a 'no photos' policy (for reasons that we couldn't follow), so regrettably there's nothing to see here.
We decided to pull into Lake St Clair for lunch. We were hoping to be able to park overlooking the lake, but this didn't seem possible so we pulled into a small area overlooking the Derwent River. While checking out the scenery (and the B747-sized mosquitoes), I noticed the noise of water dripping under the van. It seems that an errant rock had crushed the grey-water pipe between the tank and the tap, so all the washing up water held in the tank was quietly leaking out onto the ground.
Whoops
We decided that we'd rather look at this in a more civilised setting, so after lunch we set out for Strahan, leaving a few suggested scenic stops for our next visit to Tasmania. On the basis that bad news or events come in threes, we feel that we've now had our three, so the rest of the trip will be problem free. (Anyone think I'm tempting fate here?)
One stop that we couldn't ignore was the descent into Queenstown.
Queenstown
In an island that has impressed us with green forests and spectacular mountains, Queenstown comes as a shock. Mining for copper began in the area in the 1890s. At that time, the area was heavily forested. Owing to a combination of tree removal for use in the smelters, the smelter fumes, and the heavy annual rainfall, the erosion of the shallow topsoil back to the harder rock contributed to the stark state of the mountains for many decades. It is slowly beginning to regrow, but is still a prime example of what can be achieved by industry with no controls to protect the environment.
Day 40
Strahan <Map>
Today 35 Total 5238 [*]
[*] Total adjusted to catch up to my fuel consumption / distance records.
A bit of a lay day today. I spent the morning fixing the grey water pipe problem. I had asked the van park reception if there was a hardware store in town (just in case). The answer was, "The petrol station sells some bits and pieces, or you can drive to Zeehan as there's a general store there, or better yet, drive to Burnie and tell us if the new Bunnings has opened yet.". While never being one to refuse an opportunity of going to Bunnings, Burnie was about 180kms away so I just hoped I could fix the problem with the stuff I already had. Fortunately, this was the case and with a couple of bits of hose off-cuts, some Jubilee clips and a lot of rescue tape, order has been restored to the waste water system.
In the afternoon we drove out to see Hell's Gate. This is the entrance to Macquarie Harbour and is notorious for being a very narrow, shallow and dangerous entrance. If one has a 4WD (or a 'go anywhere' hire car), the beach is very firm and seems to extend from the entrance north for kilometres. Large dunes guard the beach.
Looking north from Hell's Gate
Coastal dunes - the black dot at the bottom of the dunes at right is a 4WD.
Sea water from the Southern Ocean mixes with water flowing out of Macquarie Harbour. This ends up giving both horizontal and vertical layers of different water types (salt and fresh/brackish).
Water Colours - blue sea water and tanin-coloured brackish water from the harbour
We also had a look around Strahan.
Strahan Waterfront
Cessna 185 VH-TLO and attendant launch vehicle near the docks
Day 41
Strahan -> Macquarie Hbr -> Gordon River -> Strahan <Map>
Today Car:5 Boat:140 Total 5243
Another famous Tasmanian attraction was on offer today - a cruise on Macquarie Harbour and into the bottom section of the Gordon River. On Mr Google's map (link above), the letters represent the following:
A & F were the wharf we started and ended on as seen in the photo above,
B is Hell's Gate entrance,
C is Point Sorell,
D is Sarah Island, and
E is Heritage Landing on the Gordon River.
We boarded the Eagle, our vessel for the day.
Eagle
Nautical buffs can feast on the info below.
Eagle specs (click for larger)
The Office - note the tiny joystick in the armrests. That's for rudder control!
Window seat for Madam...
We set off in our comfy chairs and headed down the harbour towards Hell's Gate. This is where we'd driven the previous day, and we were interested to see what it looked like from the water. Numerous ships were lost in the late 19th and early 20th century here due to its narrow rocky entrance.
Hell's Gates - The actual entrance is between the small island and the headland.
The other side of the channel is about the same distance away on the other side of the boat. Note reefs/shoals in the distance.
Because the sea was so calm, we ventured out beyond the entrance into the Southern Ocean to view the Point Sorell lighthouse before retuning to Macquarie Harbour.
I think I want a new GPS!
In the photo above, the red boat is us heading South-East (hdg 156) at 27kts (~55kph) down the Harbour. The very narrow light blue channel at top left leads up to Hell's Gates. It isn't very wide, is it?
Fish Farming - these were Atlantic Salmon
Like a fleet of giant flying saucers floating in the harbour, these fish farms were breeding salmon, but others in the area also breed trout as the mixture of salt and brackish water seems to be ideal for both species.
Next stop was Sarah Island. This will probably prove to be the final penal settlement we encounter on our Tasmanian trip, and it was probably the cruellest in terms of treatment of the convicts.
Sarah Island ahead, with tiny Grummet Island to the left
There's not a lot left of the colony on Sarah Island. Just some foundations and a few brick walls remain, which is why the guided tour was so illuminating.
Sarah Island circa 1830
Sarah Island is not huge at an area of only 6 hectares / 15 acres. While originally (and again today) it's heavily timbered, once it was decided that a penal colony, the authorities decided to cut down all the trees on the island for use in buildings, firewood, etc. This brilliant decision didn't take into account the fact that Macquarie Harbour is set in a very wet and windy location. Consequently, they had to use some of the felled timber to build a wind break across the whole island. This can partially be seen in the drawing above.
Most of the buildings no longer exist, but one that does is the solitary confinement building. Like other penal settlements in Tasmania, this one was based on lightproof, soundproof cells with the inmates being fed on bread and water. One can only come to the conclusion that the old principle of "The punishment will continue until morale improves."
Solitary cells
While these are not really enjoyable sites to visit, they are certainly informative and important to the understanding of Australia's early European history.
A more peaceful outlook as we leave Sarah Island
The logs in the water shown in the photo above go back to the colony's early days when the authorities needed more land than existed. They started reclaiming land by putting logs on the shore line and filling it with rocks. It says a lot for the design that they still exist nearly two hundred years later.
After leaving Sarah Island, we headed south-east further down the harbour to where the Gordon River enters the harbour. The Gordon River is a World Heritage listed area of cold climate rainforest and rare trees, and was a pivotal part of the political and environmental movement in efforts to stop the damming of the Gordon/Franklin rivers in the 1980s.
Gordon River - Just beautiful wilderness
We slowed from the boats cruising speed of 28kts in the harbour down to about 8kts in the river to reduce erosion of the banks. This was also a good time to start lunch!
Tasmanian Salmon and cheese, salad and a glass of local Sav Blanc. Mmmm
After lunch we went ashore at Heritage Landing for an introduction to the local timber, and in particular, the Huon Pine for which the area is famous.
650 year old Huon Pine cross-section - about 1 metre across
These are very slow growing but long-lived trees, with some documented at over 3000 years old. It is highly prized for boat-building as it is virtually impervious to marine borers. Most of the remaining stands are now protected in reserves, mainly in World Heritage areas. Even though the tree is hard to obtain in the wild, old logs that fall naturally and float down the rivers of Western Tasmania is a highly sought after and as they are unlikely to rot, are kept until needed in large storage areas.
Strahan Docks
Back in Strahan, we visited a saw mill on the waterfront. You can see the old Huon Pine logs on the dockside in the photo above.
This was a great day, and we can highly recommend the cruise.
Day 42
Strahan -> Cradle Mountain <Map>
Today 140 Total 5383
Another travel day witha couple of stops along the way. The first stop was at Zeehan, an old mining town. Here we visited the West Coast Heritage Centre, a museum that takes up a whole block and includes the old School of Minerals and Mining, the Gaiety Theatre, a Masonic Temple, the old Police Station and Court House, and a back lot full of old machinery. You could probably spend a couple of days here to see everything, but we only had a couple of hours.
How could I resist this Beyer-Peacock 2-6-0 built in Manchester in 1884. It served the Tasmanian Gov't Railways until 1961.
Crocoite - Orange-red crystals of Lead Chromate - is the state mineral of Tasmania
After a quick lunch break at Tullah, we kept on to our destination for the day at Cradle Mountain. The roads in Western Tasmania are narrow and can be quite steep, so consequently I have had a keen eye on the fuel gauge as it seems to be descending more rapidly that usual. On some grades we were down to second gear and 40kph.
Our last stop was at Rocky Mountain Pass. A walk up to a lookout gave us a view over the Vale of Belvoir, a natural grassland in a valley surrounded by old-growth rainforest.
Vale of Belvoir
This is the only surviving grassy valley of its kind to survive unchanged since the aboriginal hunters sought out wallabies here 20,000 years ago when glaciers covered most of highland Tasmania. The Tasmanian Land Conservancy purchased the land in 2009 and it is being managed in perpetuity as a private protected area adjacent to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Most of the grass is Tasmanian Button Grass.
Tasmanian Button Grass, waving in the breeze
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